Find Out Why This Teen is Suing Her Parents

By
Cosmo Frank

Mar 04, 2014

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In case you needed evidence that this generation of youth, with their touchpads and vidjagames, are completely out of touch with reality, one New Jersey teen is suing her parents so she can continue going to private school and college on their dime (via The Daily Record).

In a move that manages to be sort of similar to the 1984 Drew Barrymore movie Irreconcilable Differences and yet somehow dumber, 18-year-old Rachel Canning moved out of her parents' house because she didn't want to live by their rules. Her parents gave her the option to leave after she wouldn't do her chores, show them respect, or come home at a decent hour, all while dating a boy they didn't like. At the time, they were footing the bill for her private school education at nearby Morris Catholic and had a college fund set aside for her, but revoked it when she moved out.

Child services investigated the home one day after a teacher overheard Canning's mom calling her a "bad name" on school grounds, but the investigation was dropped three hours later after it was determined that Canning is "spoiled." (Child services has to be nice.)

Canning now lives with the parents of a family friend, with the friend's father representing her in court. They're demanding that even though Canning left of her own accord, her parents should pay for her high school bill, college, and all other expenses (read: everything). New Jersey law has previously ruled that just being 18 years old isn't automatic grounds for a child's emancipation, which could help Canning's case, but Canning's parents say that she is getting a lot of support from people who are "well-intentioned but misinformed." They still have the money set aside for her education, which is hers if she decides to come home and live by their rules.

Hey, Rachel, just in case you don't win this court case (you won't), here are a few things you can do to get through this: